Advice from foundation doctors

Download useful apps to your phone: BNF, Microguide, MDCALC and Switch to name a few. These will be really helpful to quickly check your decision making and give you that boost of confidence.
Learn where things are kept. Knowing where to find a form, a cannula, an ABG machine and so on will make life much easier.

Stick to your A to E approach and escalate early. There is no limit to the number of times you can ask questions when you are worried. Your seniors would rather know about a sick person sooner rather than later. Be organised, keep learning, and make sure to have some time out of work for the non-work things you enjoy

Download Accurx Switch and use your local guidelines for everything you can, they reduce human error on on calls.

Foundation training is daunting – extremely so when you start on orthopaedics as I did. But remember you’re not alone, everyone is just as nervous and anxious about starting as you are but may not be showing it. There will be mistakes made and lessons learnt, but you will improve as time goes on. Rely on your friends, colleagues and seniors. Have a firm support system so life is not all about F1/2! The years will fly by before you know it, so try and enjoy your time!

Download Microguide, BNF, Induction and familiarise yourself with the hospital layout so you don’t get lost! Find out where scrubs are kept, and how you can access food as some canteens close at 7pm.

Never be afraid to ask for advice! FY1 is all about building your confidence, so ask for help when you need it, and feedback whenever possible. The more you learn from your shortcomings, the faster you’ll become a confident, competent doctor.

Make sure to communicate your assessments and plans to everyone in the team, from nursing staff to seniors. Be approachable and well organised, and be able to recognise when you might need help. And most importantly, take care of yourself, this is first step into a lifelong career, so don’t burn yourself out at the start!

Remember to look after yourself and your well-being. Take time away to spend with friends or family and unwind or even just take time to do absolutely nothing on your days off! The first few weeks can be a lot to take in, as you’re actively thinking through each decision but it gets easier and you learn quickly on the job! You got this!

Ensure you take your full breaks and if you have to leave late – exception report it. If you are sick, take sick leave! Look out for each other, burnout is a real risk.

During your first few weeks, talk in detail about ARCP and what is expected, how to go about getting SLEs when shifts are busy and you’re exhausted.

Set simple SMART goals for PDP. Send out tickets for everything from day 1. Remember to escalate anything you think “I’m not sure”.

Stay on top of your portfolio! Doing a little bit regularly is super effective. I found that engaging with my portfolio and reflecting on what I’d seen each week was really useful for processing and learning what I could improve on.

Towards the end of the year, I had an accident and broke my leg. Having a strong portfolio really helped me manage the situation and made it a lot less stressful as I could evidence good attendance and engagement for the rest of the year.

So, keep chipping away at it—you’ll thank yourself later!

I really enjoyed my time as a FY Doctor. There are some tough days, but you finally get to do what you’ve worked so long for! Shifts like clerking or on-call shifts can be a bit “scary” before you start, but end up being some of your favourites as you get to see the patients yourself and make decisions rather than doing a lot of the day to day ward work/administrative bits. Keep on top of your portfolio throughout the year as it makes things easier in each rotation and towards ARCP deadline. You won’t ever know it all, remember A to E assessment and calling on senior support if you’re unsure about anything!

If unsure, ASK FOR SUPPORT. Pace yourself. Do not try to take on too much. You are not expected to know LOADS. Just be SAFE! And be kind.

Discuss cases with F1 colleagues and seniors. Ask for advice. Reflect on what you did well and what you would do differently. Keep being curious. Ask questions and read-up if you’re not certain about a topic.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help for anything. The people who struggle with the transition from medical school to F1 are often those who are reluctant to ask for help. It doesn’t matter how well you did in medical school, there will be things that you need help with!

If you feel nervous or uncomfortable – check it with a senior. It is better to take a little longer to make a decision than make a wrong one. Look out for colleagues, tell them good feedback and make sure they are taking breaks, it’s feeling part of a team which helps on the difficult days.

Book your annual leave early. Remember to claim back days-in-lieu for working bank holidays or when bank holidays fall on rest days. Try your best and take an interest in the patients – you can’t go too far wrong if you do that.

Everyone values a reliable, kind and friendly teammate who is willing to learn! Most people are willing to help and you need only ask. It’s not about knowing everything at this stage, but being sensible and knowing your limits. Good luck!